Chrome is testing an update system that patiently waits for your desk break

Most of us have seen Chrome pop up that bright relaunch button in the corner just when we have dozens of tabs open and are busy working. Closing everything just to finish an update is frustrating, but Google is now testing a much easier way to handle this.

Chromium Gerrit entries, first noticed by Windows Report, show that Chrome is working on a Scheduled Restart feature that waits until you step away from your computer.

Instead of pushing you to restart right away, the relaunch prompt will soon include a new option called “Restart when I’m idle” next to the usual immediate restart.

If you choose this option, Chrome will wait about five minutes of inactivity before quietly closing and reopening. This lets the browser update while you are away, like when you get coffee or take a break.

Naturally, no one wants Chrome to close tabs while a big file is downloading or music is playing, so Google is adding some smart protections.

The scheduled restart will pause if Chrome detects a file downloading, audio or video playing, or a screen capture running. This way, your movie or work presentation will not stop just because you have not moved your mouse for a while.

You will also know if a restart is coming. The development code shows reminders like an “Update Scheduled” badge in the main menu and a small confirmation message.

Google is also changing reminder bubbles so they only show up when you open a New Tab page. The browser will also consider quiet hours, so prompts will not appear while you are reading.

But this isn’t the only thing in the oven. Google is cooking up several useful new Chrome features, including background notifications for Gemini, which let automated tasks alert you without interrupting your work.

The queued restart feature is still in development, so there is no set date for when it will reach users on the stable channel. When it does arrive, it should make keeping Chrome updated much less annoying.

Speaking of updates, Google just announced that it has promoted version 154 to the stable channel. So look out for that release, with over 100 security fixes, in the coming days or weeks.

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